NWC News Desk

Intercultural Programs hosts Japanese Culture Night Sept. 20

Posted September 8, 2017

The community is invited to learn about the history and traditions of Japan Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. in the Yellowstone Building Conference Center.

Ten Japanese students are enrolled at NWC this fall, making them the largest group of international students on campus.

The evening features a multimedia presentation about Japan and its cultural highlights, including calligraphy, origami and food. In addition, the students are scheduled to prepare a traditional Japanese dish and drink.

Following the multimedia presentation, a musical performance is planned by Grand Master Michael Chikuzen Gould, who plays the shakuhachi, a bamboo flute used for playing classical, jazz and traditional Japanese folk music.

Gould lived in Japan from 1980 to 1997 and studied shakuhachi under the supervision of renowned masters Taniguchi Yoshinobu and Yokoyama Katsuya. After returning to the U.S., he taught Zen Buddhism and shakuhachi at the University of Michigan, Oberlin College and Wittenberg University. He has presented more than 500 solo concerts and has written multiple scorebooks.

Duyang Wen, a Japanese teaching fellow at NWC, is also scheduled to participate in the program and share his insights.